Separatists strike disrupts normal life in J&k

Normal life was disrupted in the Valley with separatists calling a strike against the detention of their leaders.

Normal life was disrupted in the Valley with separatists calling a strike against the detention of their leaders.

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Markets, banks, semi-government institutions were closed and transport remained off the roads in Srinagar and other major towns in the state in response to the call given by hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference to protest against booking of its chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani under Public Safety Act and continued detention of other separatist leaders.

Attendance in government offices was thin, officials said.

Besides Geelani, over a dozen other separatist leaders including Democratic Freedom Party President Shabir Ahmad Shah, National Front chairman Nayeem Khan, Chief of Dukhtaran-e Millat Asiya Andrabi were arrested by police and booked under PSA over the past two months following widespread protests over the alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian on May 30.

Over 400 youths were also arrested by police for their alleged involvement in stone pelting incidents, which has become common in the Valley since Amarnath land row last year.